We were the only four people in the museum. The proprietor and curator gave us a personal tour. The museum has displays devoted to 13 Michigan astronauts (McDivitt, Chaffee, Worden, Lousma, Shaw, Searfoss, etc.).

Each display has the astronaut's military uniform and a short bio. They also have several patches on display and models of the Saturn V, Gemini spacecraft and Shuttle orbiter.

For the military part of the museum they have more Congressional Metals of Honor than any other museum in the nation. This is primarily a military museum. The astronauts are in the back of the building.

I asked the proprietor about the absence of Andrew Feustel (he is from Lake Orion, MI). He told me that he doesn't know what to do with Feustel, because Feustel is a civilian, and did not serve in the military.

Also, Antonelli won't answer his requests.

For those of you that know Frankenmuth, it is right down the street from Bronners' Christmas store.

sfurtaw

I'm glad you found time to visit Michigan's Own and I am happy to hear you enjoyed it. I have been visiting since I was 10 years old (that was 29 years ago). At age 75, the museum's director, Stan Bozich, continues to amaze me. They cannot afford to hire an employee which amounts to a one man show. Stan is there 7 days a week, 10am-5pm.

To expand a bit on Dr. Feustel... The lack of a showcase is not due to lack of effort. Col. Gregory H. "Box" Johnson visited the museum last November to deliver the flightsuit you saw in his showcase. While there, he also commented on Feustel being missing. After Stan told him that Feustel had not replied to his contact attempts, Johnson called and left him a very entertaining voicemail message. (Something like, "Certainly someone who has worked on the Hubble is worthy of a showcase here.") It's a frustrating to have the uniform and flightsuit of every Michigan astronaut going back to McDivitt, but not two recent ones.

Michigan's Own is a true treasure. Some of the astronauts have been more than supportive. Jack Lousma has helped with a couple of events, and has brought his grandkids there. Johnson brought his family a few years ago, as did Jerry Linenger. When Roger Chaffee's parents were still alive and living in Michigan they would visit every year. Wally Bronner, founder of neighboring Bronner's Christmas Wonderland (the largest Christmas store in the world) was also very supportive. Back in 1990 the museum needed to raise $100,000 by a certain date in order to get a grant from the state of Michigan so they could construct the building you visited. Just when it looked like it wasn't going to happen, Mr. Bronner called Stan and offered to match $1 for every $2 donated.

Greggy_D

I've lived in Michigan since 1985 and had no idea this museum existed. Time for a road trip.

BMacKinnon

Last November on Veteran's Day, the museum hosted a fundraiser dinner in Frankenmuth. I attended and met two CMOH recipients - Peter Lemon and Robert Simanek.

I spoke with Stan and several others, they were and still are raising funds that will allow them to hire one or two individuals so that Stan can cut back on his hours and eventually retire.

I spoke to Stan about the astronauts and I hope they can plan a future fundraising event that includes the Michigan astronauts.

I have been to the museum multiple times over the years and he is always rotating displays because a large part of the collection is in storage. It is the only museum in the country that is dedicated to one state's veterans. And as mentioned in a previous post, it has the largest collection of Congressional Medals of Honor in the world!

If anyone from cS is in Michigan, I recommend stopping by and visiting!

Michigan's Own honors Michigan soldiers, sailors and aviators who fought in our nation's seven foreign wars, from the Spanish American War through the current War on Terrorism. It includes exhibits devoted to Michigan's Governors, 13 Astronauts and 30 individual Medal of Honor Recipients, making it the world's largest Medal of Honor collection.

Michigan's Own is "one of a kind" in the United States in that it is the only repository devoted to the wartime experiences of one state's veterans.

They also have a Facebook page that is in need of some "likes". Plus you can keep up on upcoming events and exciting mew changes coming to the museum!

I will be posting photos of their astronaut and space pioneer displays plus the various displays of items flown in space and on display in the museum.

The town of Frankenmuth that the museum is in is a little slice of Bavaria with great food and drink. Plus they have the worlds largest Christmas store! So if you are planning a road trip to or in Michigan be sure to make Frankenmuth and Michigan's Own Military and Space Museum a stop on your trip!

Editor's note: Threads merged.

BMacKinnon

Roger Chaffee:

Robert F. Freitag:

Rick Searfoss:

Michael J. Bloomfield:

BMacKinnon

Malcolm D. Ross:

Jerry M. Linenger:

James A. McDivitt:

Jack R. Lousma:

BMacKinnon

Iven C. Kincheloe, Jr.:

Gregory H. Johnson:

George D. Zamka:

BMacKinnon

Flown item displays:

BMacKinnon

Other Display:

Donald R. McMonagle:

David C. Leestma:

BMacKinnon

Brewster H. Shaw:

Brent W. Jett, Jr.:

Alfred M. Worden:

Greggy_D

Very cool. I need to make my way up there one day. I see in one of the pics that Dave Leestma's flight suit has a STS-61E patch sewn on without the PS tab.

Hart Sastrowardoyo

Noticed that, too, which is strange because I didn't know others were being considered for the PS slot or others were going to fly the ASTRO-1 mission. (There was a time when the 61C/51L crews were going to have each other's PSs - Bolden and Gibson the teacher in space, 51L the RCA specialist.)

astro-nut

Brad, thank you, very much for posting about this museum and sharing those photos. One of these days I will have to travel to Michigan and visit the museum.